Stairways | A Surviving Summer FanFiction

Part 74 - Espresso

As you get home that evening, the house is in darkness, apart from the light coming from Marlon's window.

You ascend the stairs cautiously, each one seeming to creak louder underfoot. You notice Marlon's door is slightly ajar, and poke your head round the threshold to see him on his phone in bed, still with the main light on. He looks up at the sound of the door creaking open slightly.

"Congratulations." he says, turning back to his phone almost immediately, although his mind seems elsewhere.

"How'd you find out?" you ask, suddenly anxious - how would he react? Knowing you made the team and he didn't?

"The team list is posted online." he replies bluntly.

"Oh," you walk forward, taking a seat at the end of his bed. "I'm sorry."

He scoffs. "What are you sorry for? You made the team."

"I know," you nod sadly. "But, as much as I deny it, I would have liked to have surfed Nationals with you."

"Yeah, well, that's not going to happen now, is it?" he huffs, slamming his phone down on the blankets with no noise.

"It might," you shrug. "You're still on the team-"

"Will you stop saying that?!" he shoots back sharply. "I'm not on the team; I can live with that. I don't need you to lie for me."

"Okay." you mutter under your breath, rising to your feet. You shut the door on your way out, although the light stays on for the rest of the evening, and when you randomly wake up at half three in the morning, it's still on. Maybe he's just fallen asleep with it on, you think. Or maybe he's not sleeping at all. Either way, you know not making the team properly has gotten to him.

Thanks to your routine of getting up early to surf, you wake up at something-to-six, and decide to head out to the club. Whether anyone's there or not, you can use some of the gym equipment at least - you want to feel ready before training tomorrow.

After getting something to eat from the kitchen, you grab your bike out of the garage and begin to make your way down the coast path.

When you reach the club, you're surprised to see Poppy downstairs - she's wearing gym clothes, her hair is a mess slightly and there's a sheen of sweat across her forehead.

"Hey," you say, making sure you don't startle her. "Have you been working out?"

"Yeah. Just want to get in a head start before tomorrow," she breathes out, grabbing a water bottle from the counter top. "What are you doing here?"

You shrug. "Just woke up early."

"Well, it's pumping out there at the moment," she throws a hand over her shoulder towards the sea. "You want to get out there?" she offers.

"Yeah, sure." you nod with a smile.

"Cool, let me just go get changed." she says, heading upstairs.

You wander around the club aimlessly while you wait, Running your hand along the rack of boards opposite you. When you turn to the boards again, you jump backwards slightly when your eyes meet someone else's.

Baxter is on the other side of the boards, and you breathe out a laugh as he raises an eyebrow innocently.

"You scared me." you say, as Baxter saunters round to meet you on the other side of the wall.

"Sorry," he says, a slight smile appearing for an instant but disappearing again.

"What are you doing here?" you ask casually.